Several control systems have been proposed which automatically control the state of a vehicle's headlamps in order to accomplish automatically that which is typically manually performed by the driver. In particular, the driver of a vehicle whose headlamps are in a high-beam state may dim the headlights upon conscious realization that the headlamps are a distraction to a driver of an oncoming vehicle or a leading vehicle. It is desirable to relieve the driver of such duties and thereby allow the driver to concentrate on the driving task at hand. The ideal automatic control would also automatically activate the high beams in conditions which allow their use, increasing the safety for the controlled vehicle by increasing the visibility in front of the vehicle when it is appropriate to do so.